By Vidula Jambunath
Angel Olsen and Erin Rae performed at the Athenaeum on January 31st, providing a great end to the month. The Athenaeum is a sprawling venue with multiple floors, and as a first-time attendee, I was shocked at the spectacle of it. The Athenaeum is often used as a wedding venue, but it is also utilized for smaller, more intimate concerts. The bleachers are set up like a high school gymnasium, which led to an odd viewing experience. There was a coat check, which I had never seen at a music venue before. However, the convenience of checking in my coat led me to freeze inside the venue, which both Angel Olsen and Erin Rae kept talking about throughout the show.
Rae’s sound is earthy and warm, which was a lovely contrast to the freezing venue. Rae is a musician from Nashville, and her music definitely takes inspiration from her Southern upbringing. She talked about how the last time she was in the Athenaeum was for an optometrist school dance, which was fittingly named The Eye Ball. Rae played 9 songs, with “California Belongs to You” being the standout. The melody was extremely catchy and well thought out. She played 3 songs from her cleverly-named record Putting on Airs and 3 songs from her newest release Lighten Up, her strongest works. Rae was enthusiastic and kind. After finishing her set, she loitered at the merch table to talk with fans and sign items.
Following Rae’s stripped-back performance, Angel Olsen and the Big Time Band took to the stage. Olsen played a multitude of tracks from her 5+ album discography with a strong focus on Big Time, her most recent release. She finished with a delightful cover of Badfinger’s “Without You” for the encore, a playful callback to her knack for classic covers of iconic songs. Unfortunately, there were some drunk hecklers, but Olsen let the jeers slide off her back with an easy smile. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.
Setlist
- Dream Thing
- Big Time
- Ghost On
- Right Now
- Shut Up Kiss Me
- Give It Up
- All Mirrors
- Through the Fires
- Lark
- This Is How It Works
- Go Home
- All the Good Times
- Sister
- Those Were the Days
- Chance
- Without You (Badfinger Cover)
Leave a Reply